BSY demands Basavaraj Rayaraddi's resignation

Bengaluru: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president and former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa demanded the resignation of Minister for Higher Education Basavaraj Rayaraddi alleging that he was involved in a Rs. 300-crore scam related to buying laptops for students in the State.

The State government had promised laptops for 1.5 lakh students in professional courses and degree colleges. “In the last academic year, the government procured them at Rs. 14,692 per piece. This year, the cost of one laptop has shot up to Rs. 24,692. This will cost the State exchequer Rs. 300 crore more,” Yeddyurappa said.

He alleged that M N Ajay Nagabhushan, who was Commissioner, Department of Collegiate Education, was transferred after his letter to the Chief Secretary objecting to the procurement.“It has been a trend in this government to target officers who blow the whistle on corruption within,” he alleged. He also alleged irregularities in the construction of a building for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar School of Economics in Bengaluru.